Pre-Season Fixtures: Premier League Clubs Gear Up for a Fresh Campaign
It has been just one month since the Champions League final, but club football is already close to making its return. Stars from the Premier League down to League Two are all returning from their holidays to begin preparations for the new season. Fans are just weeks away from the start of a fresh campaign, and pre-season fixtures offer current and new players the chance to impress their managers for the forthcoming term.
Chelsea in particular will have a point to prove under new boss Mauricio Pochettino after their 12th place finish last season. Manchester United will be keen to further improve under Erik ten Hag, and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will eye another Premier League title challenge. Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham make up the rest of the ‘big six’ also gunning for success as talkSPORT looks at what pre-season has to offer for the Premier League.
Mateo Kovacic is treble winners City’s only signing so far, but Pep Guardiola’s side will be full of confidence as they travel to Asia for their pre-season fixtures. They face Yokohama F Marinos and Bayern Munich in Japan, with Atletico Madrid their opponents in South Korea before the Community Shield in August against Arsenal.
The Gunners, who finished 2nd last season, have five fixtures lined up for the summer, with FC Nurnberg their first opponents on Thursday. Arteta and co. then travel to the USA to face the MLS All-Stars, United, and Barcelona before returning to north London to play Monaco. The Community Shield will be their final test as Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice look set to join Kai Havertz as their other new arrivals.
After a solid first season under Ten Hag, United are set for a busy summer as they prepare to play seven matches in the coming weeks. Mason Mount is set to be joined by Andre Onana as a new signing at the club, who could also bring in a fresh option at striker. Wednesday sees them face rivals Leeds ahead of a test against Lyon, with Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund their four opponents in America before facing Athletic Bilbao in Dublin.
Chelsea will also travel to the USA for pre-season as Pochettino continues to oversee a busy summer of outgoings. Like United, they will face Wrexham and Dortmund, as well as Brighton, Newcastle, and Fulham in the Premier League Summer Series Tour. Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has not asked for assurances over Harry Kane’s future, but West Ham could be his final opposition for the club next Tuesday. Relegated Leicester are their second opponents before Roma, but even though that fixture is currently in doubt, new opponents could be set to replace them.
Liverpool have already welcomed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to the club, a duo who are set to feature in their four pre-season fixtures. Karlsruher SC face them next Wednesday before a clash against SpVgg Greuther Furth, with Leicester and Bayern also providing tests for the Reds.
Aston Villa will face European opponents Lazio and Valencia in their preparations for Europa Conference League participation. Brighton too are looking to conquer the continent but only play domestic rivals Chelsea, Brentford, and Newcastle this summer in the United States.
Here are some of the key pre-season fixtures to keep an eye on:
– July 12 – Man United vs Leeds
– July 18 – Tottenham vs West Ham
– July 19 – Chelsea vs Wrexham
– July 22 – Man United vs Arsenal
– July 26 – Barcelona vs Arsenal
– July 26 – Bayern vs Man City
– July 26 – Man United vs Wrexham
– July 27 – Real Madrid vs Man United
– August 2 – Liverpool vs Bayern Munich
As the Premier League clubs gear up for the new season, these pre-season fixtures will provide an opportunity for managers to assess their squads and fine-tune their tactics. Fans can look forward to exciting matchups and the chance to see new signings in action. The anticipation is building, and soon, the Premier League will be back in full swing, captivating football fans around the world.